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Colmore Row

  • Thread starter Thread starter Wendy
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Thanks for posting the photos of Colmore Row. Parts of it are much changed these days but the old buildings left and have been cleaned up are very imposing. When I came on this scene firstly in the mid 1940's, all of the building frontages were
literally all black and very grimy right the way down to the Council House. Over the years the buildings have been cleaned and look very good indeed. I can remember visiting some offices on the Council House side when I had a temp secretarial stint in the early l960's. The offices were were old and drab. The rents for the attic offices were quite cheap in those days but there was nothing luxurious about them. Snow Hill Station frontage would have looked great all cleaned up. Nothing architectural about the box that is there now.
 
thanks ell for the recent pics of colmore row..we still have some lovely buildings to admire...hi jenny i agree that snow hill station would have looked great cleaned up....

lyn
 
Glad to hear the Grand Hotel is still there, albeit shrouded at the moment. The hotel interior was interesting. It had a very large hall inside which had a gallery. The decor was truly over the top - lots of gilding and very ornate, but a sight to see. These buildings were very showy and obviously meant to be 'seen'! It's good to hear so many are still there. I agree with Jennyann and Lyn, we can really appreciate their beauty now they're cleaned up. My memory is of a row of pretty grubby buildings too, so it's good news to see them restored to their original state. Viv.
 
The Grand Hotel is in desperate need of restoration. It's Grade II* listing hasn't helped the owners do any work to it.

At least the ground floor with shops looks ok.
 
According to Peter Leather's book " A guide to the buildings of Birmingham" the Grand Hotel was built to the French Renaissance style around 1875- 78, possibly to a design by Plevins, later re-modelled by Martin & Chamberlain between 1889 - 90. It looks like Colmore Row was deliberately developed in the 1870s to make it a much grander and impressive street than earlier times. Well they succeeded on that score! Viv.
 
I was watching Central Tonight earlier, and they mentioned the Grand Hotel. Rewatched it on itv.com/central-west and it is not our Grand Hotel that is being restored, but the Midland Grand Hotel in London! Not sure why they mentioned it other than people going by train in the Midlands would stay there. It was the last item on the programme.
 
I remember a Kardomah on Colmore Row which was, I think, at the end of the Gt Western arcade. Looked different to this. Did they move premises? Viv.
 
I remember this quite clearly Lyn, glad you have found a photo of it. I remember when I was about seven, going into Boots with my parents (yes, Dad was there too) to buy some mascara. It was Cyclax, and to me seemed very sophisticated indeed. I can still 'feel' what it felt like to be in that shop, but I did not realise there was a break between Boots and the Kardomah - is it a road a service road, or what, does anyone know?
 
viv i am enclined to agree with you..i thought the kardomah was further along to the left....shortie i hope someone can solve that side road question...im lost now lol...

lyn
 
Lyn I shall look on my map a bit later (I am supposed to be cleaning, LOL), I suspect it will be a service road, possibly for Greys.
 
The map does not show it Lyn, my map is a little too early. It looks like the Kardomah may have replaced a former pub, and in 1911 where Greys was were several buildings - possibly Georgian houses still. Still no nearer to the answer.
 
If I remember right The Gt. Western Arcade didn,t come all the way down to the street edge. Dek
 
The building behind the Kardomah looks like the side of Building in the first photo in Ellbrown's post 19 (former site of BlueCoat School/Prudential/ westMidsGovOffice). Maybe it is at the entrance to the arcade but the long Kardomah sign makes it look a bit odd. The frontage I remember was different to this but that could have just been because of modernization. Viv
 
This is the modern end of the Great Western Arcade from Colmore Row


The modern end of the Great Western Arcade from Colmore Row by ell brown, on Flickr


The modern end of the Great Western Arcade from Colmore Row by ell brown, on Flickr

The original end from Temple Row


Great Western Arcade - from Temple Row by ell brown, on Flickr


Great Western Arcade - from Temple Row by ell brown, on Flickr


Inside the Great Western Arcade (the shot below was published in the Birmingham Post Flickr page in October 2009)


Great Western Arcade - towards Colmore Row by ell brown, on Flickr

Inside (Temple Row end) is this sign about the history of it


Our History - Great Western Arcade by ell brown, on Flickr

Zoom in on the text


Our History - Great Western Arcade by ell brown, on Flickr
 
Nice arcade restoration. Like the idea of the lighting using the Victorian fittings and like the new beams too. The modern end before this most recent renovation was a bit faceless from what I can remember of it. Also I seem to think originally there was no glass in the Temple Row end. But could be wrong on that. Lovely entrance on Temple Row. Thanks for updated photos Ell. Viv.
 
View attachment 67755I have happy memories of Colmore Row from when I started work at Royal Mail in 1953, it was in Town Three Div; and was in
fact split into three walks as they were called. Most of your work was done in the office because the area was
mainly buisiness calls. A driver used to take of the mail out to buildings.A grand set of blokes to work with, mainly ex/service, would help anyone, what a shock I got when I transfered to Burton under the Overspill scheme!!
 
No problem.

Don't remember the previous Colmore Row frontage, but think the current one fits in with Colmore Gate.

Colmore Gate and the modern facade of the Great Western Arcade


Colmore Gate, 9 Colmore Row by ell brown, on Flickr


Colmore Gate (No 1 Colmore Square on the left) by ell brown, on Flickr

From Pevsner Architectural Guides: Birmingham by Andy Foster

Colmore Gate, shops and offices of 1990 - 92 by the Seymour Harris Partnership, with a fourteen-storey tower. Silver reflective glass and more blue pearl granite. The mullions defining the centre of each side end at the top in half-rounds, like Cass-Gilbert-period New York. Very dominating from Colmore Row and the Cathedral churchyard. Built for the Church Commissioners.
Click to expand...
Last year they changed the reception area. Have a look at my set on Flickr (link above) for the changes they made.
 
Wonderful photos,wonderful memories.
I loved the arcade when I first started work in 1957 at a firm of Solicitors in Waterloo Street.
I used to do embroidery and there was a brilliant shop in the arcade where they sold every colour silk you can think of.
Later I worked in St Pauls Square and used to pass the Grand Hotel to go through the churchyard to catch my bus home.
I once bumped into Shirley Bassey as she came out of the hotel,well in fact she bumped into me and was most apologetic.
I always loved the old buildings in that area of the city but time moves on and some of the new ones are very impressive.
 
smashing memories alberta...and fancy bumping into the great shirley bassey...

lyn..
 
Yes Alberta I too love so many of B'ham's old buildings, especially for their craftsmanship. It's regrettable that some have disappeared, but like you say, we must move with the times. Reading Ell's extract from Pevsners guide makes me realise there're lots of interesting new designs popping up. I think (?hope) lessons were learnt from some of the 60s mishaps. I've not seen Colmore Gate in the flesh, but I like the overall look. The top of the building is a nice feature and the arches add interest. The 'blue pearl granite' sounds lovely! The materials being used give it a much airier feel. And of course there're lots of reflective surfaces on these modern buildings to make the best of all the sunshine we get here!!

Just read that the Great Western Arcade originally came to a dead end in Temple Row but in the early 1880s its line was continued as the North Western Arcade right through to Corporation Street. Is that the arcade that goes alongside the House of Fraser? Viv.
 
No don't get that either. The first stained glass window photo from your Flickr contact is a nice view. You get the beauty of the stained glass without interrupting the view of Bull St. That view I still recognise! Thanks. Viv.
 
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